Targeted Attacks on Gaza Strip

Following an increase of rocket fire from terror groups in the Gaza Strip onto civilian populations in Israel, the IAF executed targeted attacks on terrorist targets

Yuval Shoham

The Israeli Air Force had already, by Wednesday March 16th, began targeted attacks following the firing of Qassam rockets in the western Negev communities of Israel. IAF aircraft hit two terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip with complete accuracy.

A significant escalation in southern Israel began last Saturday, when Palestinian squads fired about 50 mortar shells over 40 minutes at civilian Israeli communities around Gaza. The militant wing of the “Hamas” terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the shooting. In response, the IAF attacked several terrorist targets in Gaza in combination with ground artillery fire. Overnight, between Monday and Tuesday, the IAF attacked two weapons smuggling tunnels, two weapons productions sites, two weapons storage sites, and two terrorist targets.

On Tuesday, the IAF attacked a squad of four terrorists of the “Islamic Jihad” organization in northern Gaza as they were preparing to fire a rocket. Members of the terrorist cell that launched a Grad rocket on the Israeli city of Be’er Sheva on February 23 were killed in the attack.

On Tuesday, a Grad rocket was fired on the Israeli city of Ashdod and on Wednesday, a rocket was fired on a residential neighborhood in the Israeli city of Be’er Sheva in the morning. In response, the IAF attacked a terrorist in northern Gaza and identified a direct hit.

During Wednesday, mortar shells continued to be fired from Gaza into Israel and a Grad rocket fell next to the Israeli city of Be’er Sheva. In response, the IAF attacked targets overnight, including a weapon smuggling tunnel in southern Gaza and a terrorist target in northern Gaza, which was identified as a direct hit.